Shoe-pressing apparatus



Jan. 6, 1931. M. c. HosKlN 1,788,238

SHOE PRES S I NG APPARATUS Filed Oct. 30, 1928 Patented Jan. 6, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MINARD O. HOSKIN, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE B. F. GOOIDRICH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. ,'Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SHOE-PRESSING APPARATUS Application :tiled October 30, 1928. Serial No. 315,956.

This invention relates to apparatus for pressing shoes, and especially to devices for compacting the rubberized sole-margin of a lasted upper or shoe-lining and adherin it to an insole mounted on the last and un erlying said margin. The apparatus also may be advantageously used for pressing fillersoles onto insoles, and in other operations where it is desirel to exert pressure upon the bottom of the shoe only. The invention is,

in part, an improvement upon the invention of V. H. Bodle, Patent No. 1,657,296.

The chief object of the invention is to provide improved shoe-pressing apparatus by which the sole portion of a shoe may be more evenly and eectively pressed than in apparatus previously used. A more specific object is to apply different pressures to adjacent regions of a shoe sole. A further object is to provide simple apparatus for the purpose mentioned whichwill be long-lived and not subjected to frequent breakage or other failures.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying my invention, in its preferred form, inoperative relation to the work, and the .work therein, parts being sectioned and lbroken away.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail of a portion of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the sole-pressing structure and adj ant partsff Referring 'to the drawings, 10- is a ram guide in which is mounted a ram 11` carrying on its top al pair of parallel, spaced-apart metal strips 12, 12 which support the solepressing structure. Extending upwardly from one side of the guide 10 is a bracket 13 of which the upper end portion extends lat# erally over the ram and has pivoted thereon at 14 an -L-shaped hold-down member 15 of which one arm is adapted to bear upon the toe portion of a shoe 16 mounted upon a last 17 and of which the other arm is adapted to bear upon the top of the last to hold the last and shoe against the upward pressure of the sole-pressing structure when the latter is raised by the ram. f

The sole pressing structure comprises a heel-pressing block 18 of rigid material such as metal, and a toe-pressing block 19 of like material, the heel-pressing block being immovably mounted with relation to the ram and the toe pressing block being so mounted as to be movable with relation to the heelpressing block,

The heel-pressing block 18 is mounted upon a base-plate 20, and the toe-pressing block 19 is mounted upon an adjacent base-plate 2i` which is hingedly connected to the baseplate 20 for universal movement with relation thereto at a point`somewhat in front of the middle of the shoe. The base-plate 2O is ,provided with anv underlying spacerplate 22 and the latter and the base plate 20 are secured to a supporting plate 23 mounted upon and secured to the supporting strips 12, the plate 23 also underlying the base-plate 21 The hinged connection between the respective base-plates 20, 21 comprises a stud 24 which is threaded into the margin of the baseplate 20 adjacent the base-plate 21, said stud being formed with a head which is a portion of a sphere that is cut away to provide substantially fiat top and bottom faces. The head of the stud 24 extends into a circular recess 25 formed in the base plate 21, and opening onto the margin thereof, the fiat lfaces of the stud-head being parallel with the planes of the respective faces of the plate 21 and lying wholly between said planes. The

-wall of the recess-25 is arcuate and vconcentric with the head of the stud 24, and the latter lits loosely therein to allow freedom of movement ofthe base plate 21.

A spherical segment 26, concentric with the head of the stud l24 is secured to the bottom face of the base plate 21 and extends across the recess 25, said segment resting upon the supporting plate 23 and providing a pivot for angular movement of the plate 21 in any direction. l

The free end of the base-.plate 21 normally is urged upward by a sti' compression spring 27 which is seated in a suitable cup'or Well 28 supported by the supporting-plate 23, the upper end of the spring engaging the bottom face of the plate 21, around a centering stud 29 which projects therefrom. The upward movement of the plate 21 is limited by a v threaded stud 30 projecting downwardly from said plate and `extending through a narrow slot 31 in the supporting plate 23, the lower end of the stud 30 beneath the plate 23 being provided with an adjustable nut 32.

Positioned between the heel-pressing block 18 and toe-pressing block 19 is a cushion 33 of yielding, elastic material such as rubber, said cushion being adhered or vulcanized to said pressing blocks 18, 19 and to their underlying base-plates 20, 21. The marginal and surface contours of the cushion 33 conform generally to the corresponding portions of a large size shoe, the apparatus being adapted to operate upon shoes of all adult sizes.

As shown in Fig. 2 with relation to the heelpressing block, the top surface of the cushion 33 normally extends somewhat above the top surface of the heel-pressing block and toepressing block at the respective lines of junction therewith.

In the operation of the apparatus, the ram l1 being lowered, the work is placed upon the pressing structure, which, because of the expansion of the spring 27, has its toe-pressing block 19 in an elevated position and its intermediate, cushion portion 33 curved on a smaller radius than the normal curvature of the bottom of a shoe, with the result that the latter rests with its toe and heel portions upon the respective toe and heel-pressing blocks and its intermediate portions standing clear of the cushion 33. A

The ram 11 is then raised to carry the shoe into engagement with the stationary holddown member 15 and thereafter to forcibly press the shoe between the latter and the solepressing structure. As pressure is brought to ear upon the heel and toe portions of the shoe, where the shoe-uppers'vmargin is most gathered, the toe-pressing block moves downward against the yielding pressure of the spring 27 and swivels laterally or angularly upon the pivot 26 to accommodate itself to vthe contour of the shoe bottom so as accurately to fit the latter, Before the toe-pressing member 19 reaches the-limit of its downward movement wherein the toe and heelpressing members fully engage the shoe, the shank of the shoe engages t e cushion 33 and slightly compresses the same, so that when the apparatus attains the final position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the entire shoe bottom is under pressure.

The pressure preferably is greatest at the heel of the shoe where the full pressure of the ram. 11 is transmitted to the shoe through the unyieldin heel-pressing block 18. The pressure at t e toe of the shoe is transmitted through the yielding but stiif spring 27 and is almost as great as at the heel. The pressure.

on the Ashank of the shoe is transmitted Athrough the cushion 33 and is lighter than the pressure at the toe and heel portions, but is sufficient to compact the shoe parts in this region where the shoe upper lies smoothly upon the insole. The elasticity of the cushion 33 permits it to conform to the contour of the work and yet to apply adequate pressure to the entire area thereof.

When the pressure has been maintained for a suiiicient time to effect the desired result uponthe work the ram is lowered,`the work removed, and the operation as described may be repeated.

My invention is susceptible of modification within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Shoe-pressing apparatus comprising a pair of members of which one member is movable with relation to the other member to compress a shoe mounted therebetween, and a sole-pressing structure carried by one of said members and comprising an unyielding pressing member ixedly mounted thereon and a pressing member mounted for movement with relation to said fixedly mounted member, said pressing members engaging respective portions of the shoe sole, for applying different pressures to adjacent portions thereof.

2. Shoe-pressing apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the relativelyV movable member of the sole-pressing structure is yieldingly mounted upon its support.

3. Shoe-pressing apparatus comprising a pair of members of which one member is movable with relation to the other member to compress a shoe mounted therebetween, and a sole pressing structure mounted on one of said members and comprising an unyielding pressing member of rigid material and a pressing member of yielding ma rial, said pressin members engaging respective portions o the shoe sole, for applying diferent mounted on one of said members and comprising a heel-pressing member fixedly mounted upon its support, a toe-pressing member yieldingly mounted for movement with relation to the heel-pressing member, and a yielding shankressing member intermediate said toe and eel-pressing members.

5. Shoe-pressing apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which the shank-pressing member comprises yielding material.

6. Sole-pressing apparatus comprising a heel-pressing member, a toe-pressing member a shank-pressing member intermediate said members, and means for pressing the work against said members, said shank-pressing member comprisin yielding material so mounted and arrange as to be put under pressure by the shoe before the toe and heel portions thereof fully engage their respective pressing members.

7. Shoe-pressing apparatus comprisin ya stationary member and a movable mem er adapted to compress a shoe mounted therebetween, and a sole pressing structure-mounted on one of said members and comprising a heel-engaging member Iixedly mounted on said member, a pivot-ally mounted toe-engaging member, an intermediate flexible and yielding shank-engaging member secured to the aforesaid toe and heel engaging members, and yielding means mounted behind the pivoted toe-engaging member for urging it and the adjacent portion of the shan -engaging member toward the Work.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my vhand this 27th day of October, 1928.

'I MINARD C. HOSKIN. 

